"Study Shows Chronic Back Pain can be Healed by Natural Means"

I am so happy to see studies are finally being done and made public that PROVE natural means can heal chronic pain. I have healed myself of HORRIBLE lower back pain and as well as constant "all over pain" through all natural methods and am trying to empower people to do the same. It is refreshing seeing research being done in this field instead of JUST to approve the latest and greatest pain killer.

RESEARCH STUDY BY A LOS ANGELES PHYSICIAN SUGGESTS IT CAN BE DONE.

WEST LOS ANGELES, CA -- September 10, 2007 -- According to researchers with the California-based Seligman Medical Institute (SMI), it may be possible to relieve chronic back pain by simply reeducating sufferers about the physical and emotional origins of their pain. The SMI study, which was just published in the Sept/Oct 2007 issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine (www.alternative-therapies.com ), suggests that chronic back pain patients can often be effectively treated without surgery, medication or even physical therapy. Using a program consisting solely of office visits, reading assignments, a structured workbook (guided journal), educational audio-CDs, and, in some cases, individual psychotherapy, the study's Principal Investigator David Schechter, MD was able to reduce pain levels of 51 chronic back pain patients (average nine years of pain before treatment) by over 50%.

Commenting on the phenomena of the incidence of back pain in America, Dr. Schechter noted that chronic, nonspecific back pain is a ubiquitous problem that has frustrated both physicians and patients for quite some time. It is also one of the most expensive, costing the U.S economy alone over $100 Billion annually. Dr. Schechter stated that, "The treatment program we used was completely non-invasive and non-pharmacological — and very inexpensive to administer. While educational approaches have always played a prominent role in the prevention of illness, we think they can also play an important role in their treatment, especially conditions such as chronic pain, where most conventional and treatments don’t seem to work that well." He further stated that, "This should be of interest to health-care entities, employers, HMOs, insurers, and anyone else who is adversely affected by the spiraling cost of treating chronic pain." The mind-body approach Dr. Schechter used was originally developed by John Sarno, MD, a rehabilitation specialist at NYU’s The Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine. To learn more about this study please click here . To read the article in its entirety please pick it up at your local newstand (Sept/Oct 2007 issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine) or subscribe to the magazine at: (www.alternative-therapies.com ). There are countless wonderful articles in this magazine to look at if you are interested in alternative health.

Wouldn't it be great if all doctors were required to be educated in this matter and suggest this approach to patients before automatically putting them on painkillers for life? The majority of the arguments I get when I tell people they can heal themselves is that "their pain is real" and "no studies have shown your mind can heal your body". Well -- my pain was as real as it comes too. I lived with it (as did my friends and family) for over 6 years. I am not saying anyone is making up their pain or illness. The point is JUST how powerful the mind is and that the subconscious can internalize things physically. If you don't look deeper than the surface and try to heal what is wrong inside you subconsciously -- the physical can't heal. I don't even mean major issues -- perhaps a friend that drains you but you feel responsible for, perhaps an old accident or even an argument or fear you never came to terms with. Many things in life cause stress and if they are not dealt with at the emotional level at the time they will manifest into dis-ease. As for the second argument about no proof -- I am SO thankful to see studies being done like this one to validate what I know is true because I LIVED it.

Pharmaceuticals have their place in the medical world. But I truly believe if all people spent the time and energy on themselves and on their emotional healing rather than reaching for pills to mask symptoms -- they would be surprised at how much control their mind had over their body and how much they could actually heal themselves and limit pills.

If you want to learn more about me and the methods I used to self-heal, please visit me at http://healpain.weebly.com, or http://www.thankfulformyhealing.com.